Battery pack isolation system
The present disclosure is directed to a cordless power tool vibration isolation system. A solution to negative impacts of vibration on a removable battery pack caused by operation of a cordless power tool. Isolating the battery pack from the power tool reduces wear and tear on the battery pack including the pack housing, the pack terminals and internal pack components. A battery pack interface of the power tool including a discrete interface housing that mates with the battery pack and a vibration isolation element that separates and isolates the combination of the discrete interface housing and the battery pack from the power tool and the power tool's associated motor induced vibrations.
1. A power tool comprising:
a power tool housing,
a battery pack interface for receiving and mating with a removable battery pack, and
a vibration isolation element, the vibration isolation element positioned between the power tool housing and the battery pack interface to enable the battery pack interface to have six-degrees of movement relative to the power tool housing.
2. The power tool, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the power tool housing is physically isolated from the battery pack interface.
3. The power tool, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the power tool housing does not touch the battery pack interface.
4. The power tool, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the battery pack interface includes a housing and a set of terminals, the battery pack interface housing including a set of grooves and a set of rails designed and configured to cooperate with a correspondingly designed and configured set of grooves and set of rails of a power tool interface of a removable battery pack.
5. The power tool, as recited in claim 4 , wherein the set of terminals are placed in a mold and hard plastic material is injection molded into the mold to fix the set of terminals relative to each other and create the battery pack interface housing.
6. The power tool, as recited in claim 4 , wherein the battery pack interface rails and the power tool terminals are integrally formed in a single piece assembly.
7. The power tool, as recited in claim 6 , wherein the single piece terminals/rails assembly is divorced from the power tool housing with 6 degrees of freedom.
8. The power tool comprising:
a power tool housing,
a battery pack interface includes a discrete housing isolated from the power tool housing and a set of terminals, the battery pack interface housing and the set of terminals are integrally formed.
9. The power tool, as recited in claim 8 , wherein the battery pack interface housing includes a set of grooves and a set of rails designed and configured to cooperate with a correspondingly designed and configured set of grooves and set of rails of a power tool interface of a removable battery pack.
10. The power tool, as recited in claim 9 , wherein the battery pack interface rails and the power tool terminals are integrally formed in a single piece assembly.
11. The power tool, as recited in claim 10 , wherein the single piece terminals/rails assembly is divorced from the power tool housing with 6 degrees of freedom.
12. The power tool, as recited in claim 8 , wherein the set of terminals are placed in a mold and hard plastic material is injection molded into the mold to fix the set of terminals relative to each other and create the battery pack interface housing.
13. The power tool, as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a vibration isolation element positioned between the power tool housing and the battery pack interface housing.
14. The power tool, as recited in claim 13 , wherein the vibration isolation element is made of an elastic material and is affixed to the battery pack interface housing to dampen the transmission of vibrations from the power tool to the battery pack.
15. A method of manufacturing a power tool, comprising the steps of:
providing a set of power tool terminals, each of the power tool terminals including a battery pack mating portion and a motor coupling portion,
insert molding a battery pack interface housing about the set of power tool terminals, such that the battery pack mating portion of the power tool terminals and the motor coupling portion of the power tool terminals are exposed,
providing a power tool outer housing,
assembling the battery pack interface housing within the power tool outer housing such that the battery pack mating portion of the power tool terminals are exposed for mating with a removable battery pack, and
coupling the motor coupling portion of the power tool terminals to a motor with a set of wires.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of providing a vibration isolation element between the battery pack interface housing and the power tool outer housing such that the battery pack interface housing does not directly contact the power tool outer housing.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the battery pack interface housing is molded with a set of grooves and rails configured to cooperate with a correspondingly configured set of grooves and rails of a power tool interface of the removable battery pack.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the set of terminals are placed in a mold and plastic material is injection molded into the mold to fix the set of terminals relative to each other and create the battery pack interface housing.